Seattle Sounders Denied Date With Real Madrid After Late Loss On FIFA Club World Cup Debut

Originally posted on FanNation Futbol
By Robert Summerscales | Last updated 2/4/23

Seattle Sounders 0-1 Al Ahly

Seattle Sounders will not play Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup after losing 1-0 to Egyptian side Al Ahly on Saturday.

Last year's CONCACAF Champions League winners became the first ever US team to compete in the Club World Cup.

In Al Ahly, Brian Schmetzer's side were up against an experienced side playing in the tournament for an eighth time since 2005.

But Seattle did not look uncomfortable on the big stage.

They dominated the first half of the game, recording eight shots to Al Ahly's one.

None of those shots tested either goalkeeper though.

The second half was a more even battle and it was shaded by Al Ahly after substitute Mohamed Afsha beat Stefan Frei with his team's first shot on target.

Al Ahly's reward for beating Seattle is a semi-final shot at European champions Real on Wednesday night.

The winner of that game will compete in the final three days later.

Brazilian side Flamengo will take on Al-Hilal in the other semi-final, after the Saudi champions overcame Morocco's Wydad Casablanca in a penalty shootout in Saturday's other second round game.

This article first appeared on FanNation Futbol and was syndicated with permission.

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